Dirt bag for suction cleaner



June 11, 1957 A. L. DRESNEK w DIRT BAG FOR SUCTION CLEANER Filed May 6,1954 V inventor: A/ber-t L D esne His Al; orngy.

United States PatentO DIRT BAG FOR SUCTION CLEANER Albert L. Dresnek,Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation ofNew York Application May 6, 1954, Serial No. 428,015

6 Claims. (Cl. 183-43) My invention relates generally to suctioncleaners and particularly to improved means for disposing of dirtaccumulated in a suction cleaner.

Increased use of suction cleaners by domestic users has intensified theproblem of disposing of the dirt collected in the cleaner. The moderntendency is to provide a disposable filter, such as a paper or clothreceptacle, which removes and collects dirt from the dirt-laden airstream that flows through the cleaner. When full, these receptacles areremoved and disposed of. Because of the necessity of changing thesereceptacles frequently, it has become extremely desirable that theirinsertion and removal be simple and swift, and that the hands of theuser not contact the dirty portions of the receptacle during thechanging operation.

The art has solved this problem by providing disposable dirt-collectingbags comprising receptacles having a coupling portion formed thereon,and providing av complementary coupling portion on the interior of thesuction cleaner that communicates with the inlet of the cleaner. Theparts are constructed to cooperate and provide a quick, easy, detachablecoupling. Since the receptacles are ordinarily made of paper or thelike, due to cost considerations, the coupling portion of the bag ismade of a rigid or semi-rigid material, such as cardboard, which iscemented to the receptacle. It has been found in operation thatdisposable bags of this type have some serious defects. The connectionbetween the cardboard and the paper receptacle must be complete or thebag will not be adequately sealed and, therefore, will permit escape ofsome of the dirt-laden air stream into the interior of the cleaner.Another defect is that the portion of the paper receptacle near the bagscoupling portion has a tendency to be ripped or torn during the step ofmounting the bags coupling portion in the complementary coupling portionof the cleaner.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved dirt-collectingbag of the type referred to, which may be readily coupled and uncoupledto the cleaner without ripping or tearing portions of the bag, andwherein the bag is effectively sealed when mounted in the cleaner.

The above and other objects are obtained by providing in a disposabledirt-collecting bag comprising a receptable made of filtering paper orthe like, a coupling member, and a spacing collar between the receptacleand member, which constitutes an effective guide and seal for the bag.

Other objects and details of that which I believe to be novel and myinvention will be clear from the following description and claims takenwith the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation view of a disposable dirtcollecting bagincorporating my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevation view showing'the coupling portion ofthe bag and the coupling portion of the cleaner immediately prior tocoupling the parts.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken online 33 of Figure 2 after the partshave been coupled.

My invention deals generally with the same problem Patented June 11,1957 treated by George H. Bramhall and Warren N. Kemnitz in theirapplication, Serial No. 411,056 filed February 18, 1954, now Patent2,771,152, and assigned to the same assignee as that of the instantapplication. However, my invention is more directly concerned with animprovement in the type of disposable dirt-collecting bag disclosedtherein, and specifically is concerned with an improvement in thecoupling portion of such a bag. The invention covered in the referred toapplication of Brarrn hall and Kemnitz was made by them prior to myinvention, therefore, I do not herein claim anything shown or describedin the Bramhall and Kemnitz application, which is to be regarded asprior art with respect to my instant application.

My improved dint bags may be used in any type of suction cleaner, suchas the commonly known horizontal or vertical tank varieties. Cleaners ofthis type normally comprise a casing having air-flow producingmechanism, an air inlet and outlet, cleaning tools, a dirt-collectingreceptacle and means for connecting the cleaning tools to the air inlet.My invention contemplates dirt bags that are constructed so as to becoupled to a coupling portion formed on the interior of the cleaner andwhich communicates with the air inlet. The referred to application ofBramhall and Kemnitz discloses the type of cleaner coupling portion thatmy dirt bags may be used with.

In Figure 1, there is shown my improved disposable dirt bag; as usedherein the term bag is defined as comprising a receptacle and a couplingportion. The dirt bag generally comprises a receptacle 10 having acentral portion 12 and pleated end portions 14, and the improvedcoupling portion, which is permanently secured to the central portion12. The pleated end portions are adapted to curl and permit the bag tobe deformed to fit within an annular filtering chamber in a cleaner.This feature forms no specific part of my invention for my improvedcoupling portion may be incorporated in any type of disposable dirt bag.

Central portion 12 has an opening 16 formed therein which constitutesthe only opening in the receptacle 10. The receptacle is made of aconventional filtering paper or cloth material or composition, and isfragile, yield able and pliable. Mounting plate or member 18, in theform of a generally rectangular piece of rigid or semi-rigid materialsuch as cardboard, is secured to central portion 12. Plate 18 has anaperture 20 formed therein which is aligned with the opening 16 in thereceptacle 10. Plate 18 is connected to the cleaner coupling portionwhen the bag is mounted in operative position in the cleaner.

In the referred application of Bramhall and Kemnitz,

the bag mounting plate was secured directly to the central portion ofthe receptacle by cementing or the like. In my invention, I provide anovel spacing collar 22 be.- tween the plate and the receptacle. Collar22 constitutes an effective means for sealing the receptacle 10 and forguiding the mounting plate into the cleaner coupling portion during thestep of assembling the parts. Collar 22 is made of a material similar tothat of the plate 18, is flat and has three straight sides 24, 26 and28, and a curved side 30. Collar 22 is positioned between plate 13 andthe central portion 12 of the receptacle, and has an opening 32 that isaligned with the openings 16 and 20. Collar 22 is secured to itsassociated parts by cementing, such as gluing or the like. In securingthe parts, one face of the collar may be completely covered with cementand secured to the part of the central portion 12 that surrounds opening16, and the other face of the collar may be completely covered withcement and secured to the plate 18. The large cementing surface providedby collar 22 permits a very effective sealed connection between thereceptacle and the plate.

The curved side 30 of the collar constitutes a means for initiallyguiding the mounting plate of the bag into the coupling portion of thecleaner in that it provides a' smooth leading edge. The thickness of thecollar is utilized to space the plate 18 from the central portion 12 ofthe receptacle. This has certain functional" advantages, namely, that offacilitating mounting the bag in' the cleaner without tearing thereceptacle as well:

In Figures 2 and 3, the coupling: portion of the bag is shown inassociation with the coupling portion of the.

of a cleaner, a coupling portion for the purpose of re-;'

ceiving mounting plate 18' of the bag. However, the cleaner couplingportion must communicate with the air inlet of the cleaner for thepurpose of directing the dirt laden stream which comes through the airinlet into the.

bag.

The coupling portion of the cleaner is indicated in the drawinggenerally by reference numeral 40; and comprises theaperturedfiange-like mounting bracket 42, that is secured to the cleanercasing 44 by a connection, such as pipe 46. Connection 46 connects thecasing and bracket and communicates with the air inlet of the cleaner,which ordinarily extends to the exterior of the cleaner and has aflexible hose connected thereto which supports cleaning tools on itsfree end. As can best be seen in Figure 2, mounting bracket 42 supportsspring clips 48, t) and 52, which are made of a resilient or flexiblematerial, such as spring metal. Each clip has a fiat portion 54 securedto one side of bracket 42, and other portions 56, which are bent aroundan edge of the bracket and contact the other side of the bracket. As canbest be seen in Figure 3, the flat portions 54 are secured to one sideof the bracket 42, and the bent portions 56 extend around the edges ofsaid bracket and contact its other side. 7

The edge of bracket 42 not having a spring clip may be closed by achannel-shaped pivotal latch member 58. The details of the latch and itsmounting will not be explained as they form no specific part of thisinvention.

When it is desired to mount a. bag in the filtering chamber within thecleaner casing 44, the latch 58 (if there be such a latch) is pivoted(clockwise as shown in Figure 2) to the position shown in Figure 2, andthe bag is juxtaposed to the coupling portion 40 in the mannerillustrated in Figure 2. The bag is then moved toward the couplingportion 40, care being taken to insure that the leading edge 60 of theplate 18 parts the adjacent portions 62 of the clips 48 and 52, so as topermit its reception between the bracket 42 and said clips. Upon furthermovement of the bag toward the mounting portion 40, the plate 18, whichis disposed in a plane that is parallel to the plane of bracket 42,slides within the clips 48 and 52 further. When the point is reachedthat the curved edge 30 of the collar 22 is positioned near the portions62 of the clips, edge 30 guides the coupling portion of the bag into thecoupling portion 40. Edge 30 constitutes a smooth surface which preventsjamming of the coupling portions. More importantly, it prevents prickingof the part of central portion 12 that is adjacent to the plate 18 bythe portions 62 of the spring clips.

The bag is shown coupled to the cleaner in Figure 3. When the parts arein this position, the collar 22 spaces the central portion 12 from thespring clips. This prevents contact between the clips and the centralportion 12, and thereby avoids ripping and tearing of the centralportion, which is likely to result if the collar were not present. Whenthe plate 18 has been fully seated in the coupling portion 4-9, theleading edge 60 of the plate will have been seated between the springclip 50 and the adjacent portion of the bracket 42, and three edges ofthe plate 18 will be restrained by the spring clips. If a latch 58 isprovided, it may be pivoted (counterclockwise as 4 shown in Figure 2) toits closed or locking position, thereby' closing the fourth edge of theplate 18.

In removing the bag from the cleaner, the bag is uncoupled from thecleaner coupling portion by following the reverse procedure to that setforth for mounting a bag.

As will be evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of myinvention are not limited to the construction of the exampleillustrated, and I contemplate that various and other modifications willoccur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, my intention thatthe appended claims will cover such modifications and applications as donot depart from the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. in a suction cleaner having a casing, a dirt receptacle made of afragile filtering material and having an opening therein, a couplingportion formed in said casing and having a planar face and an openingtherein, said rcceptacle adapted to be mounted in said casing with itsopening aligned with the opening in said coupling portion, and grippingmeans on said coupling portion, that imrovement comprising a spacingcollar which is secured to said. receptacle, and a fiat mounting memberwhich is secured to said spacing collar, said spacing collar and saidmounting member each having an opening which is aligned with the openingin said receptacle, said spacing collar and said mounting member bothbeing disposed on the exterior of said receptacle whereby said mountingmember is spaced away from said receptacle on the ex* terior thereof,said mounting member being larger than and extending beyond said spacingcollar, whereby said mounting member is adapted to be moved into planarcontact with said face and be gripped by said gripping means.

2. A device as defined inclaim 1 wherein portions of said gripping meansare positioned between said receptacle and said mounting member whensaid mounting member is gripped by said gripping means.

3. .A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said spacing collar comprisesa fiat plate having a curved edge for guiding said mounting member intosaid coupling portion.

4. A dirt-collecting bag for use in a suction cleaner having a casinghaving an air inlet, a bracket secured to said casing, said brackethaving an opening communicating with said air inlet, and resilient clipson said bracket, said bag comprising a receptacle being made of aflexible and pliable filtering material, an opening in said receptacle,a rigid flat spacing collar cemented to said receptacle, a rigid flatmounting plate cemented to said collar, said collar and said plate eachhaving 'an opening, the openings in said collar and said plate beingaligned with the opening in said receptacle, said plate adapted to becoupled to said bracket by positioning said plate between said bracketand said clips, said plate,.when coupled, being disposed parallel to.and contiguous with said bracket, all of the openings being aligned.

5. For use in a suction cleaner, a dirt-collecting bag comprising areceptacle of fragile filtering material havr ing an opening therein forconnection to the air inlet of the cleaner, a spacing collar secured tosaid receptacle on the exterior thereof, and a mounting member securedto said spacing collar on the exterior of said receptacle, said spacingcollar and said mounting member each having.

an opening which is aligned with the opening in said receptacle, saidmounting member being larger than said collar, whereby said mountingmember extends beyond said spacing collar and is spaced away from saidreceptacle on the exterior thereof.

6. A device as defined in claim 5 whcreinsaid spacing collar comprises aflat plate having a curved edge, for facilitating mounting of said bagin said cleaner.

(References on follow g Pa References Cited in the file of this patentUNITED STATES PATENTS Wallace July 4, 1911 Muentener Feb. 16, 1937 SceneDec. 5, 1950 Ferraris Oct. 16, 1951 Sosnowich Dec. 11, 1951 AndersonDec. 16, 1952 6 Wales Aug. 17, 1954 Meyerhoefer Oct. 11, 1955 Daiger'eta1. Feb. 12, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Apr. 19, 1923 France May1, 1911 Germany Aug. 28, 1936

